Team Canada loses 3-2 to U.S. women in a thriller at Scotiabank Place

Women's world hockey championship final

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Shannon Szabados from team Canada watches the puck goal during the gold medal game against the USA Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Megan Bozek from team USA celebrates her second period goal against team Canada during the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team Canada and team USA shaking hands Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Jessie Vetter from team USA during the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Shannon Szabados from team Canada after letting in a goal during the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team USA celebrates after winning gold Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Sarah Vaillancourt from team Canada gets tripped by Julie Chu from team USA during second period action at the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team USA celebrates after winning gold Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Fans attending the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Meghan Agosta-Marciano from team Canada shoots the puck on Jessie Vetter from team USA during the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Courtney Birchard from team Canada celebrates her first period goal against team USA during the gold medal game Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team Canada forward Sarah Vaillancourt cries with Tessa Bonhomme after loosing their gold medal Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team USA celebrates after winning gold Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Team USA defeated team Canada 3-2. Team USA celebrates after winning gold Tuesday. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

The IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship gold medal game took place in Ottawa, Tuesday April 9, 2013. Shannon Szabados from team Canada watches the puck goal during the gold medal game against the USA Tuesday night at Scotiabank Place. Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun/QMI Age

Team Canada's Lauriane Rougeau (L) abnd Bailey Bram check Megan Bozek of Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's (L_R) Courtney Birchard, Hayley Wickenheiser, and Meghan Agosta-Marciano dejected after losing to Team USA in the gold medal game at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Shannon Szabados makes a save as Amanda Kessel of Team USA looks for a rebound during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada fans cheer for a goal against Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's goaltender Shannon Szabados looks down as Amanda Kessel (R) and Brianna Decker of Team USA celebrate a goal during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Tessa Bonhomme battles with Hilary Knight of Team USA in the last minute of play with both Canadian goaltenders on the bench during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Catherine Ward (L) congratulates Caroline Ouellette on her goal against Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Tessa Bonhomme (middle right) consoles Jennifer Wakefield after losing in the gold medal game toTeam USA at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Shannon Szabados makes a save off Hilary Knight of Team USA as Meaghan Mikkelson checks during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Jennifer Wakefield can't contain Amanda Kessel of Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Tessa Bonhomme is pursued by Monique Lamoureux of Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Shannon Szabados looks back at the puck entering the net for the game winning goal by Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Jocelyne Larocque checks Kendall Coyne of Team USA during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Jocelyne Larocque and Hilary Knight of Team USA crash into the end boards during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

Errol McGihon/QMI Agency

Team Canada's Bailey Bram consoles goaltender Shannon Szabados after Team USA scored the go-ahead goal during action at the 2013 Ice Hockey Women's World Championship taking place at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on April 9,2013. Errol McGihon/The Ottawa Sun/QMI Agency

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Her brother may wear a Maple Leaf for a living, but it was Amanda Kessel putting a dagger through the heart of Team Canada in Tuesday's gold medal showdown at Scotiabank Place.

Kessel snapped a shot that brother Phil would envy, popping the water bottle behind Shannon Szabados 3:09 into the third to break a 2-2 deadlock and clinching gold for the fourth time in the last five women's world hockey championships.

"It was a team effort all around," said Kessel, who added she didn't mind being the "villain" in Canada's capital.

"We really let that game slip away (in a tournament-opening 3-2 shootout loss to Canada) and (Tuesday) we played a complete 60 minutes.

"We knew we were going to get a good game out of Canada. Our whole tournament wasn't the best we can play, but what matters is how you finish a tournament and we played our best game (Tuesday) night."

Canadian captain Hayley Wickenheiser said the team has plenty to work on if they want to repeat Olympic gold in Sochi next year.

"This one stings for sure," she said. "The fans have been so supportive and the atmosphere has been so great. We have to move forward and try to get better as a team."

Kessel said the Americans had revenge on their minds after the Canadians stole gold in overtime in Vermont last year. After blowing a 2-0 lead to Canada in the opening game this year, they turned the tables on the hosts when it mattered most.

The Americans took it out on their Canadian counterparts from the drop of the puck, with Brianna Decker hammering Catherine Ward on the opening shift, and turning that physical play into furious pressure, as she forced Szabados to come up big on an early breakaway.

But it was Canada's Courtney Birchard opening the scoring as her slap shot fluttered off a body and past a screened Jessie Vetter for an early lead.

But while Team USA came out with the same vigour in the second, the Canadian game started to unravel.

Again it was Decker blowing past her check in the neutral zone and finishing a 2-on-1 break with a neat forehand deke past Szabados at 2:43, and the U.S. took its first lead of the game as the Canadians began a steady stream to the penalty box.

The Americans finally made them pay on their fourth straight opportunity after Wickenheiser was assessed an elbowing penalty with Rebecca Johnston already in the box.

The vaunted U.S. power play needed roughly half of the 1:07 of 5-on-3 time it was given, with Megan Bozek's point shot slipping through Szabados.

But some equally undisciplined play from the Americans gave Team Canada the chance it needed after Decker was sent off for a high hit to the head of tournament MVP Marie-Philip Poulin, who got up to set up Caroline Ouellette for her first of the tourney.

"They deserved to win. With 16 shots on net it's hard to win a hockey game," said Ouellette, who wasn't about to blame officials despite some confusing calls.

"It's unfortunate and I think there's a lot of embellishment in our game. We are guilty of that as well, but it's tough for one referee. We got ourselves in trouble by getting beat one-on-one too many times and we did a poor job of closing the gap and helping out on the back check."

Team Canada loses 3-2 to U.S. women in a thriller at Scotiabank Place

Her brother may wear a Maple Leaf for a living, but it was Amanda Kessel putting a dagger through the heart of Team Canada in Tuesday's gold medal showdown at Scotiabank Place.

Kessel snapped a shot that brother Phil would envy, popping the water bottle behind Shannon Szabados 3:09 into the third to break a 2-2 deadlock and clinching American gold for the fourth time in the last five women's world championships.

Team USA was beaten 3-2 in a shootout after blowing a 2-0 lead to Canada in the opening game of the tournament, but turned the tables on the hosts when it mattered most.

After a week of obligatory scrimmages against the Swiss, Finns and Russians, Team Canada was served a taste of its own medicine from a hungry Team USA bent on revenge after the Canadians stole gold last year on American turf.

The Americans took it out on their Canadian counterparts from the drop of the puck, with Brianna Decker hammering Catherine Ward on the opening shift, and turnin